Boiler-feeding device.



J. H. BULLARD.

lBOILEII FEEDING DEVICE.

UNITED# STATES Arnim* OFFICE.'

JAMES H. BULLARD, OF SPRINGFIELD, OVERMAN AUTOMOBILE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSET'ISi MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR *To or cHIcoPEE, MASSACHUSETTS,

BQglLER-FEEDING DEV|CE.

srn'crrrcnrrolv forming part of Letters Patent' No. esas'ea aated'october e9, 19013,V

Application filed December 24. 1900. Serial No. 40,994.' CNO model.)

To all; whom it may concern.- Be it known that I, JAMES H. BULLARD, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Boiler-Feeding Devices, of which the following is a specification. I v

This inventionrelates to feeding devices forsteam-boilers, and especially tothe boilers f steam-propelled road-vehicles.

'The object of the invention is to provide boilers of this class with separate feeding devices and actuated by separate means, but

automatically controlled by one devicecom-v mo'n to both, whereby water may be admitted to the boilerl as required.

In vehicles of this class three general lines ofconstruction have been followed. One isto provide a feed-pump which is set1 in motion by the operator of the vehiclegaccording to the requirements of theboiler, as indicated by the level of water in the boiler by means of a gage-glass under the eye of the operator. Another plan has been to provide a steampu mp setin operation by one ofthe well-known thermally actuated mechanisms, v which is governed by vthe level `of the water in the boiler, and the third plan has been to provide a feed-pump which is continuously actuated by the axle of the vehicle when the latter is moving, and so regulating the delivery of water to the boiler from said pump was' nearly as possible to'replace that used by the lenginein the form of steam. "All of these systems of feed-water supply have their disadvantages. The tiret is objectionable in that many vehicles fall into the hands of inexperienced persons, who forget-tc start, the pump. The second plan requires Vthe ex; penditure of too much steam, as the capacity of the boiler of road-vehicles is so small that it requires the frequent operation of the pump to maintain a normal level in the boiler. The-disadvantages of the third plan are, first, that 'itis exceedingly difficult to regulate the pump to that degree of nicety which will supply just the quantity ofwater required, and, second, if the vehicle vis left standing for any length of time,feven under a low tire,- the quantity of lwater in the boiler gradually bef' comes reduced until finally the limit of sat'et'y is passed. This invention overcomes the die fects of all of these above-enumerated meth;

ods by making use'of two of them-viz., the' steam-pump and the pump actuated by movement of the vehicle-andproviding connections from an automatically-operating device toeach of them, whereby when the vehicle is in motion one of these systems willsupply th'e boiler with water and when the vehicle is standing still the. other-system will be employed, bothsbeig con trolledfbysaid autof,

matic device under these different conditions. The drawings consist of lone perspective view, Figure l embracing a boiler, a pump operatedl from-the vehicle-axle', .a steam-ae.

tuatedA pump, suitable connections between saidv pumpsand boiler, and a conventional watersupply,and it shows also the automatic device whereby either pump may be set. in motion; and Fig. 2, lwhich shows, on an enlargedscale, a detailed part ofthe automatic valve-operatingA mechanisms.

' Referring'now to the drawings, a indicates the boiler.

b indicates a pump, whichis operatedby an eccentric-rod c, connected with the eccentric d on the axle e. Only a smallportion ofthe axle is shown in the'drawings. 'f indicates a steam-actuated pump, the steam -cylinder g, of which is connected by a pipe h with the boiler. In said pipe is-a valve t'. The au- Itomatic'device shown herein, whereby the movements of these two pumps b and f are controlled, is similar in construction to that covered by my United States Letters Patent,

dated February 13, 1900, No. 64I-3,319, and' consists, essentially, ot' a pipe having'a long horizontally-extending U-shaped loop therein. The upper branchjof said loop liesjust belowthe water-level in the boiler when it is at its normal height. Said upper branchyl is by a suitable extension connected with the top of the boiler, as shown. 'lhelowerbranch 7c of the said U-shaped loop after-passing through a jacket- -is by a suitable extension connected with th'e lower end of the boiler.

Thus, as vdescribed in my said Letters Patent,y

any fluctuation of the water-level inthe boiler.

loo

will cause a like tiuctuation of the height ot the water in the branches j and la, and if the Y water-level falls sufficiently to permit steam attached to the branch j near one end thereof through the pipe e back to the water-tank.l

and extends in the opposite direction somewhat beyond the elbow connecting branches j and k, and in the 4end of this yoke is supported a rock-shaft n, having an arm o thereon, which engages with another arm p, located Qn said elbow at the end of the U-shaped loop. When any change in length ofthe branch j, due to the expansion'thereof, takes place, it will thus operate to rock the shaft n. q indicates a water-tank, which is represented in a purely conventional form.

fr is a pipe connecting the pump b with said tank, and s is a pipe extendihg from said pump to the jacket Z. From the opposite end of said jacket a pipe t extends tothe boiler. These last-named pipes s and together with the jacket Z, constitute the conduit through which water from either ot' the pumps reaches the boiler. f

In the pipe s, closeto the pump, lis a checkvalve u, and between said valve and the pump a pipe e branches oif and runs back to the watert-ank q. w, provided with 4a long stem, which has a pivotal connection with an arm on the end of the rock-shaft n in a manner hereinafter described. Under normal conditions this valve remains open and is closed by the up! ward movement of its valrcstem. Now, assuming that the water-level in the boiler a has fallen sutiiciently to allow steam to enter the upper branch j and expand it, the rckshaft n will be actuated, as stated, and the arm .ce thereon will effect the closure of the valve w. This having taken place, water from the pump Z7, forced into the pipe s, must pass under the check-valve u against the boiler-pressure and thence on through the jacket Z and pipe t to the boiler. As soon as lnormal watenflevel has been restored in the boiler the contraction of the branch j will again open the val ve w and the water from the pump b will'again resume its normal course By means ot this construction the pump b,

. being always in action, is always ready to supply the boiler, as above described. It the valve w were placed in the pipe r, whereby when the boiler required no water the pump would be receiving none, it v'ould be found difficult to prime said pump and get itin proper working condition in such manner as to insure prompt delivery of water, to the boiler. This is because air gets into the pump; but these diiiculties are never encountered if the pump is made to pump a continuous stream from the .tank back into4 the tank, and by the operation of a valve, as above described,this stream is momentarily In this pipe 1: is the valve diverted into the boiler as the latter requires it. The action ot the pump b, however, depends entirely upon the movements of the axle e of the vehicle, and if the latter is leit standing without entirely extinguishing the fire steam will accumulate in the boiler and escape through the safety-valve, thus gradually reducing the water-supply. Of course it is iinpracticable to extinguish and relight the tire under the boiler when a stop is to be made for any length of time, and therefore means must be provided whereby Water may be supplied tov the boiler as required, even though the vehicle remains for a long time stationary, under which circumstances it is deprived ot' the services of the pump b."

It is obvious that the supply'of water to the boiler should be automatically regulated while the vehicle is at rest as well as when in motion, and to accomplish this the movements of the rock-shaft "n, actuated by the expansion of the pipe j, are employed' to set in motion one of the feed-pumps or to cause the water to be directed into the boiler from the other one. As stated, the valve z' is a valve in the steam-pipe h, running from the boiler to thesteam-cylinder g of the pumpf. y is a rock-shaft having one arm z in engagement with vthe stem of the valve fi, 4and l is another arm on y in engagement with a vertical rod 2, the lowerend of which engages the end of the arm '03. The valve z' isopened by an upward movement of the stem there of. The rod 2 at this point of connection with the arm l has more or less play vertically in the end ot the arm .1. in one di,- rection, which is-provided for by passing the rod 2Y freely through the end ofthe arm l and locating two nuts 3 above and below the end IOO o f the said arm. The nut below the arinl is the actuating-nut, the one above the arm be- .ing normally a little distance above the upper surface of the latter. The connection of the arm c with the stem of the valve t' is effected in the same manner as that of the arml 1 with the rod 2, the nuts on the stem of thel valve i being separated suti-ciently to allowa little play of said arm c without opening said valve z'. Thus the rock-shaft y may be more or lessIoscillated by a movement of the rod 2 when the valve w is closed; but this nievement of y will not operate the valve t'. The pumping-cylinder g is connected with` the tank q by means of the pipe 4, and by means of a pipe 5itis also connected with the pipe s between the,checkvalve u andthe boiler. Now itfis obvious that if the arm x is'to operate both the valve w and the Valve z' itl must operate one ahead of the other, or every .time the valve lw, for instance, is closed to cause water to b e forced into the boiler by the pump b the valve i would simultaneously be opened,setting in motion the steam-pump, which would also force .water into the boiler. Therefore to guard against this simultaneous operation ofthe feed-pu mp enough play is permitted to the arm a' and the nut above it ou the f the valve i.

zontal plane from its free small capacity the valve-stem to permit the closing of the valve fw before the said. arm z will operate to open As soon as the v alve w is closed, then the pump' b forces the water into the boiler, and the latter being of comparatively' expansion of the branchj is arrestedbefore the movementy of the arm a; can operate to open the valve t' of the steamlpump; l but when the vehicle is stationary,

then if the expansion ofthe pipey causes the arm a; to. swing upwardly, as described, said upward movement willl not be arrested by the injection of cold water into the boiler by the operation of the pump b; but after closing the valve w it-will continue until the valve 't' opens and effects the operation of the steam-pump f. It is obvious that when the valve w comes to its be provided for permitting the continued upward movement of the arm ai to edect the opening of the valve t'. Provision is made for this by splitting the arm 2 in a horif end back toward the rock-shaftn. The lower half 6 thereof is pivcted to the Lipper half of said arm and normally held in close contact therewithby a spring 7, whichis sufciently rigid to effect the closing of the valve w, a pin on the end of the stem of said valve lying between the lower part (3 of the arm and the main body thereof, the two parts of the armbeingsubstantially one piece as far as the actuation of said valve w is concerned either in opening or in closing it. However, when the vehicle is stationary and the arm .fr is actuated it first closes the valve w, as above described, and the upper part of the arm to which the rod 2 is connected, then continues its upward movement until the valve opens. When the normal water-level has been reached, the

arm swings downward until vit closes the' valve t' andencounters the lower part 6 of said arm, whose spring 7 has meanwhile held the valve w closed. The arm by its continued downward movement carries down the stem of the valve w and opens it. The space between the under upper side of the arm 1 at the moment the valve t' closes is sufficient. to permit the downward movement of the rod 2 far enough to open thevalve w.

Means are also shown herein for manually operating the pump f independently of the automatic means; but this formsnopart of the present invention, it having been covered in an application forLetters Patent o'f the United States tiled by me on August 1, 1900,

Ca second seat means must.

side of the nut 3 and the 4ing mechanism,and

desired 'type which will impart 'the required movements to the rock-shaft n. The one shown herewith was selected as illustrative of a type only. t y v Having'thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States, is'- i.

l. In a steam-propelled vehicle, the combi'- nation with the boiler thereof, of water-feedf ing devices for the latter eonsistingof a pump operatively connected 'wi th the propellngmecl'lanism of said vehicle and actuatedt-hereby when"the vehicle is moving; pump actuated by the pressure in the boiler; an automatically-operating mechanism whereby either of said pumps may be* adapted to feed water to the boiler, and means for setting said second pu mp in operation, independently of said automatic mechanism, substantially as described.

I 2. In a steam-propelled vehicle, the combination with the boiler thereof, of Water-feeding devices for the latter consisting of a pump operatively connected with a moving part of the propelling mechanism of said vehicle and actuated thereby when the vehicle is moving; a second pump, actuated by the pressure in the boiler; an automaticall -operating meehanism whereby said first-named pump only' may supply water to the boiler, when the propelling mechanismof the vehicle is in motion, and whereby said second pump may be adapted to supply the boiler when said propelling'mechanism is at rest, independently of said vfirst-n described.

3. In a steam-propelled vehicle, the combination with the boiler` thereof, of water-feed-- ing devices for the latter consisting of a pump med pump, substantially'as operatively connected with a moving part of,A

the propelling mechanism of said vehicle and actuated thereby when the vehicle is moving;v

a second pump, actuated by the pressure in the boiler; suitable connections from a source of water-supply latter to the boiler; an automatic'ally-operatf con uections between the latter and said pumps vwhereby one of the latter may be adapted to feed .Water to said boiler in advance of the other,'substantially as described.

4. In a steam-propelled vehicle, and two water-feedingdevices, one mechanicallyoperated by aconnection, from a mevingpart of thevehicle, and when the latter is moving,

a boiler,

and the other operated by a ste-am connection from the boiler'-v thereto, a valve for controlling the delivery of water from saiducmechanically--operated pump to the boiler, and a valve for controlling said steam connection, combined withA to said pumps, and from the operable only'y a moving part of loa.

one ai'itomatically-operating device, whereby'- said valves may be separately actuated, sub stantially as described.

In a steam-propelled vehicle, af'boiler and two water-feeding devices, one mechan` ically operated by a connection from a mov* ing part of the vehicle, and operable only when the latter is moving, and the other operated by a steam connection from the boiler thereto, a valve for controlling the delivery 0E water from said mechanically-operated pump to the boiler, and a valve for controlling said steam connection; a thermally-actuated device Wherebyaid valves may be separately actuated, combined with means for manually actuating the valve in said steam 1o connection, independently of said thermally"- actnated device, substantially as described.

JAMES H. BULLARD.

Witnesses;

W. H. CHAPIN, J. D. GARFIELD. 

